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Monotheism and Polytheism in the Modern Hermetic Tradition

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Monotheism and polytheism in the modern Hermetic tradition Tomas Stacewicz © Tomas Stacewicz 2008, 2010. When it comes to religion Hermeticism, as that exemplified through the Golden Dawn tradition, has always shown a quite liberal attitude to the personal profession of the member. Thus there are many opinions expressed concerning the Golden Dawn, both as an Order and Tradition, regarding if it either being Christian or pagan in its nature. In this essay I will express my own personal views and sentiments on the matter which doesn’t necessarily reflect any traditional or official policy of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Although my views are largely the result and expression of my own experience with the Order and Tradition, and my particular initiatory process within its context, they still reflect my own personal revelation and attitude. Introduction It is my belief that “monotheism” is a simplified understanding that everything is the ONE ALL. However diversified it may appear to us in our mundane and terrestrial consciousness, there exists a true unity behind this apparent illusion. This transcendence of consciousness is what we should strive for in our theurgical, alchemical and mystical life, but also to bring the Spirit into the matter, to unite the King with his Queen. The current state of diversity, both in nature (i.e. the macrocosm) and in our psyche (i.e. the microcosm) is not an ideal state. The goal of psychoanalysis is to become conscious of your diversified nature, the complexes (which are rather “demonic” in nature), and be able to transcend their direct and indirect domination over the soul. The goal in psychoanalysis, as in psychosynthesis, it to unite the soul, or to make it whole again. This is beautifully portrayed in the Fall from Eden symbolism, both of the Bible and of the Golden Dawn tradition. The Qabalistic work of restoration (Tikkun) is to become a new Adam, a new regenerated soul which no longer is diversified, which is whole and where the self (or in Freudian terms “ego”) is the master of the house, not the complexes of the subconscious. This journey from fallen state of disgrace into the ascended state of grace if profoundly portrayed in the life of the son of man, Jesus Christ. Thus in Christian symbolism there is much wisdom to be gathered and certain Rosicrucian currents even regard the life of Jesus to be metaphors of the stages of the Great Work. As a student of Rosicrucianism I of course find evidence of much wisdom and psychological value in the mysteries of the Christos, his crucifixion and resurrection. The life of the Christos depicts a journey that leads from diversity unto oneness, into wholeness or holiness, and for me “oneness” and “wholeness” is the same thing or state. We are always composed of different ingredients, different component parts, like for example in our body and cellular structure. But our component parts must work in unison, as one to be able to subsist. If not one will develop cancer (both figuratively and actually). It’s only when we transcend diversity and find unity that we can achieve the true spiritual life – Spirit. The words “whole” and “holy” comes from the same root, and this fact carries with it great wisdom. Furthermore, I believe that when we finally find the highest form of unity – oneness or union with our God – we transcend personality. In psychoanalysis, “personality” is per definition the result of neurosis. It’s our unconscious conflicts, bound up libido, etc., that makes us as characters. A “character”, “trait”, or “personality” is a sure sign of unbalance in one particular direction of a part of the whole. It’s beautifully portrayed in astrology and the Zodiac where each sign can be regarded as a specific personality trait. The goal is to transcend the Signs and place oneself in the center as the Sun, or Christos. In this instance I recommend meditation on the Zelator 1°=10° diagram called the “Table of Shewbread” which pertain to this symbolism (See fig. 1). The Pentagram in the center is the equilibrated man, the new Adam, which has his Elements in perfect equilibrium, and is crowned by Spirit (the number 5 is a reference to the 5 Elements). In the natural man the Pentagram is reversed. He is like a slave to the Elements, as may bee seen in Key No. 15, the Devil (See fig. 2). Figure 1 – The Table of Shewbread There exists powers in the soul of a transcendent nature that could be termed as “gods”; I am speaking of the archetypes in a Jungian sense. But these can likewise be attributed to aspects of the ONE ALL, or GOD, as it is done in the Holy Qabalah and its glyph of the Tree of Life, which contains 10 emanations of Godhead in a rather straightforward neo- platonic manner. The Archangels and Angels of the Judaic-Christian tradition, which are in turn attributed to these 10 emanations, may be regarded as emissaries of these Archetypes, or even as representations of these Archetypes on a lower arc, as well as the old pagan gods may be attributed to these same 10 principles. But in the field of depth psychology, in a Jungian sense, the archetype of the ONE or of God, is actually the “Self”, i.e. the totality of the psyche, the whole of the soul. Figure 2 – The Devil Thus, Personally I don’t see any actual conflict between Christianity and Paganism, or that of monotheism and polytheism, within the Hermetic tradition of the Golden Dawn. In my opinion the Golden Dawn may best be described as a “pagan version” of Christianity. It does use the image of the Christ in its symbolism, but simultaneously it places this symbology in a wider and perennial context. It recognizes that the image of the Christ is a later development of the Osirian mysteries, as well as that of other mystery religions involving the formula of the dying god. Being a Rosicrucian fraternity the Golden Dawn thus doesn’t represent a traditional or exoteric form of Christianity, but more properly an Esoteric Christianity which also gives acknowledgement of pagan deities such as the Egyptian and Greek pantheons. Thus it both uses the names of Osiris and that of Jesus (Yeheshuah) in its rites, often in the same context. The Alchemical Tradition Upon entering Golden Dawn’s Inner Order, or Ordo Rosae Rubeae et Aureae Crucis (R.R. et A.C.), the initiate should find himself comfortable with using Christian symbolism in his magic, in combination with older and pagan symbolism. If one cannot touch Christian symbols or utter the holy name of God through the Pentagrammaton (i.e. Yeheshuah ), or the Tetragrammaton (i.e. Yehovah ) or any other Hebrew holy name, one will have problems as one advances through the system. Thus open-mindedness is required both ways, towards both the Judeo-Christian and the pagan contents of the Golden Dawn tradition. As a neo-pagan one could believe in a pagan “Supreme Being”, such as Amen-Ra, Helios, Shiva, or any other, as a member of the Golden Dawn, but it would still require the member also to invoke the IHVH (Yehovah) and YHShVH (Yeheshuah), and other Hebrew names for God. Likewise as a Christian one must feel comfortable with the fact that one systematically put on Egyptian and other pagan god- forms in magical workings. But as already has been shown, this apparent paradox may easily be resolved in that every part belongs to the whole. Everything is an expression of the mysterious ALL. Regardless of symbol system, it and the particular god or goddess being used is only a mere vessel of the true mystery which cannot even be fathomed by the human mind nor realized through ordinary or extraordinary thought processes. One may of course argue if an earlier or more ancient religion is “purer” than a later one, or if a later development is a more natural progression or adequate “distillation” and sublimation of the Prima Materia, discarding the Caput Mortum. But that discussion is rather irrelevant as the main point is if it does the proper and adequate work, and thus has a place in the system. The Golden Dawn is a Hermetic Order and this means that Alchemy is the very foundation of its philosophy and system, even if it is implicit. And Alchemy uses the language of symbols and of mythology, also Christian. Figure 3 – Golden Dawn alchemy Now, I of course acknowledge the fact that Hermeticism and Magic stems from a blend of Egyptian and Greek religion and philosophy during the Hellenistic era. However, Alchemy has developed since then and taken a Christian form since the middle ages, perhaps even earlier. Thus to unravel many of the Alchemical texts written since then, by most Alchemical Masters, you have to be able to decode the use of Christian symbolism which is prevalent in Alchemical textbooks. Regardless of the Ways used – the Dry or Wet – the Great Work or Alchemical Process is described using the analogy of the life of Jesus as expounded in the Gospels, especially concerning his Passion and resurrection. Blood and sacrifice, in the context of the crucifixion of Christ, is something beautiful and intimately charged with esoteric significance when interpreted in an Alchemical context. The exception to this is the tradition of Internal Hermetic Alchemy that doesn’t use Christian symbolism, to my knowledge, but original Hermetic-Hellenistic concepts. But you won’t find any of these processes in a bookshop or library. One position held regarding the assimilation of Christian symbolism into Alchemy is that the Alchemical tradition was compelled to adopt its Christian guise as otherwise practitioners would be burnt as heretics.
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